Beltane: A Frituals Saga Novella

By Katelyn Costello

On the last day of classes, those that live around Cabineral Lake come together to celebrate Beltane and the start of summer. Shauna, Taytra, and their closest friends prepare for a night full of dancing, spectacle, and joy. But what is a celebration without someone getting into trouble?
With the end of lessons looming upon them, Philippe is distant, and Shauna isn’t sure if it is because of her or the unknown of the future. While Taytra took part in the Beltane celebrations last year and is more than content to watch her sister enjoy the night, others have a different idea.
Set before the events of The Frituals Saga, Beltane offers readers a chance to experience the life, traditions, and joy of Cabineral Lake before the rise of the Dark Ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katelyn Costello
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781736959862

Book preview

Katelyn Costello

Beltane

A Frituals Saga Novelette

First published by Katelyn Costello 2023

Copyright © 2023 by Katelyn Costello

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

First edition

ISBN: 9781736959862

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

Contents

I. SHAUNA

1. Afternoon

2. Sunset

3. Twilight

II. TAYTRA

4. Evening

5. Dawn

6. Morning

About the Author

I

Shauna

1

Afternoon

I want to thank you all for a great school year. It wasn’t always the most productive, but I think it is safe to say we all learned something this year. Ms. Graham stood at the front of the class and smiled at them before wiping away the last review questions. She turned back to them and sighed. To my most senior class, you will have completed your schooling in about fifteen minutes. Once the sun sets this evening, you will be an adult. You will continue to learn things every day, but this is the last time you will sit in a structured lesson. I hope you will take the memories of this class and what I tried to teach you into your everyday life.

Shauna glanced over at Safiya. They’d heard this speech from Ms. Graham every year, but it felt different now that they were being addressed.

We’re done! Safiya squeed.

Hush, don’t ruin the moment! Ward hissed from a few rows over.

We aren’t ruining it, just commenting on it, Safiya said. Ow!

Shhhh, Andrew said, gently tugging on Safiya’s braids. Some of the younger students swivel in their chairs to look at the group—looks of youthful disdain on their faces. But honestly, Shauna couldn’t care any less. She could feel the excitement tingling in the tips of her fingers. She loved every minute of her classes but couldn’t hide her glee. Tonight was the start of the rest of her adult life.

I know this is a day full of nervous energy. I would ask you to focus for a few more minutes. Ms. Graham glanced over to the little quartet. One last test. And all of you will be free. She said pointedly as she pulled out a pile of parchment. This should not take you over ten minutes. She moves between the different age groups and passes the tests out. Bring your test up to my desk when you have completed it. If you pass this, you are free from your lessons for the rest of the year, or for my last years, you are finished with all your lessons, and I will not see you in the fall.

The test fluttered down in front of Shauna, and she quickly filled in all the questions. As Ms. Graham said yesterday, Shauna remembered most of these questions from the fall, and even what she didn’t remember wasn’t hard to figure out now that they had spent the year learning everything. This test was a reflection of everything they learned over the last several months. Yarrow for fever or cold. Put eggs in a lime-water solution to keep them fresh longer. Queen Moraine is in her two hundred and seventy-third year as queen. She took over after the first war of men and elves dethroned her sister Chima.

Shauna looked up and saw Gleason leaning across the aisle toward her. "Bug